Welcome to the Review Round-Up! We here at Talking Comics release a lot of reviews every week, but sometimes a review can go unnoticed or get buried beneath all the news and other features we have on a weekly basis. That’s why we decided to gather all of our week’s reviews into one post and put it out there for you to enjoy.
Also, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out this week’s Talking Comics podcast, which discusses all things comic related and more.
DC Comics:
Animal Man #18-
Written by Jeff Lemire, Art by Steve Pugh
“This was a great story. It not only concludes Rotworld and the aftermath of it and this story puts the series back on track after the crossover. This is one of my favorite DC books and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I also have enjoyed the art. I think that the cover was really good it was an homage to a Flash cover from a few years back. I do think that they shouldn’t have put any wording on it except for the title, DC logo, and creator names, because it took a little bit away from the cover and it might have spoiled what takes place in the book.”–Tali
You can read the whole review here.
Batwing #18-
Written by Fabian Nicieza, Art by Fabrizio Fiorentino
“I thought it was great to take away what little David has and to see him at his lowest point so far after trying to do the right thing, Nicieza has done a good job. I think that this has been a great story arc and I’m looking forward to what happens next issue. I’m loving Fiorentino’s artwork . The splash page was amazing as well as the cover art.”-Tali
You can read the whole review here.
Detective Comics #18-
Written by John Layman, Art by Jason Fabok
“If you are interested because of the cover and the fallout from Batman, Incorporated, your dollars are best served elsewhere. But if you want to read one of the better Penguin stories I have had the joy to read that focuses more on Oswald Cobblepot himself than his squawking persona, you cannot do much better than Layman’s run on Detective so far. And that continues in this month’s issue.”-Sean
You can read the whole review here.
Green Arrow #18-
Written by Jeff Lemire, Art by Andrea Sorrentino
“Lemire continues to build up a strong story and interest in Oliver Queen and his world. He’s tearing the Green Arrow down in order to build him back up again into something stronger. Lemire excels at characterization and creating characters we love to read. I can’t wait to see how Ollie and the rest of the (hopefully) growing team evolve and grow.”–Adam
You can read the whole review here.
Green Lantern #18-
Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Szymon Kudranski and Ardian Syaf
“I loved the story, and I loved the art. I have a small issue with how they gel, but I know others at my LCS were quite pleased with the entire package, so that may be a personal issue on my end. Johns fulfills his prophecies (*rimshot hat trick*) of an exciting conclusion, and is building to what we can hope will be an exciting payoff to his farewell arc.”–Sean
You can read the whole review here.
Lot 13 #5 (of 5)-
Written by Steve Niles, Art by Glenn Fabry
“It is quite unfortunate that issue #5 is the finale of Lot 13; I get the feeling there could have been so much more. Perhaps not so much for the Nelsons, as they were quickly wearing out their welcome, but the apartment building was home to crowds of cold bodies and I don’t doubt Steve Niles would provide great stories for them all, given the chance. Glenn Fabry’s art is very nice, too. He’s got a real skill for articulating torn, demolished, rancid flesh and wounds.”–Melissa
You can read the whole review here.
Swamp Thing #18-
Written by Scott Snyder, Art by Yanick Paquette
“Snyder and Paquette do a splendid job bringing both their arc and their run to a natural yet emotion-filled end. Focusing the spotlight back on the pair that have been the center of the theme’s exploration, it is a fitting epilogue to an overall entertaining run. Now, we can only wait and see what Charles Soule and Kano do to tend the garden of stories left behind and hopefully produce yet another batch of amazing tales; and the cycle can begin anew.”–Sean
You can read the whole review here.
Marvel Comics-
Age of Ultron #1-
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Bryan Hitch
“If you are looking for a light, fun and fancy free adventure romp, you are looking in the wrong place. But, what Age of Ultron #1 lacks in whimsy it more than makes up for in sheer excitement and drama. The team of Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch work in perfect harmony to bring you the first chapter in a grim tale of lost hope and possible redemption. This is the type of story that would go great with a beer and a Hans Zimmer score and you won’t want to miss it.”-Bobby
You can read the whole review here.
Iron Man #7-
Written by Kieron Gillen, Art by Greg Land
“With Iron Man #7, we seem to finally have hit a groove with the series. While some weren’t pleased with how the first arc turned out, we’re two-thirds of the way into his second arc and Kieron Gillen has finally established what he wants his Iron Man series to be. If this issue is anything to go by, I’m hooked. Alien space fights, a reflective but still snarky Tony, and the return of a villain I never thought I’d see again makes for a formula that any Iron Man fan will enjoy. Greg Land’s art is still a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but he gels well with Gillen and you can almost forgive the horrendous faces thanks to a symmetry between the two of them that makes for a compelling read.”–Travis
You can read the whole review here.
Superior Spider-Man #5-
Written by Dan Slott, Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli
“Otto is continuing to develop his own methods, and with an ending that isn’t totally clear, I feel we owe it to Otto and Slott to keep reading. Slott is keeping character central in this tale of Spider-Man, and that’s where this issue pulls through. Do we really know what Otto did? Is he going to revert back to a super villain? If you have been enjoying the ride so far, then you’ll want to buy this book. If you are still angry that Otto isn’t behaving like Peter, then this issue will probably upset you. Either way, issue #5 of Superior Spider-Man is shaking things up in a big way and should affect things to come.”-Adam
You can read the whole review here.
Winter Soldier #16-
Written by Jason Latour, Art by Nic Klein
“Winter Soldier is one of the most original books coming out of the House of Ideas these days. For hard-boiled pulp-espionage thriller action, you need to check out Jason Latour and Nic Klein’s work on this book.”-Joey
You can read the whole review here.
Image/Vertigo/Dark Horse/Valiant Comics-
Fairest #13-
Written by Lauren Beukes, Art by Inaki Miranda
“Beukes and Miranda are a comic book force to be reckoned with. Their arc was engaging throughout each issue, the characters were memorable, and the artwork was gorgeous. This last issue was a fitting end for the Hidden Kingdom arc. Be sure to check out the full arc from your comic book shop, Comixology, and in trade when it hits stores.”-Mara
You can read the whole review here.
Lost Vegas #1-
Written by Jim McCann, Art by Janet Lee
“Jim McCann and Janet Lee have already proven their masterful synergy on Return of the Dapper Men. While that buzz might get eyes onto this newest comic from Image, it’s the freshness of the storytelling that will keep readers on board. Lost Vegas is a genre-bending sci-fi heist comic that promises to accelerate and escalate quickly over the next few issues! And seriously, Janet Lee’s character design for Roland channels all sorts of classic ’50s-’60s American Golden Boy handsomeness.”–Joey
You can read the whole review here.
Mara #3-
Written by Brian Wood, Art by Ming Doyle
“Mara #3 is a difficult jumping-on point for readers. Luckily, there are only three issues out so far. If you are a fan of non-superhero comic books with great art, unique women-of-color lead characters, and a futuristic setting, then Mara is for you.”–Mara
You can read the whole review here.
Sex #1-
Written by Joe Casey, Art by Piotr Kowalski
Sex is another gritty, niche book from the Image imprint that needs time to grow. I understand that you can’t accomplish everything with a first issue all of the time but a little more clarity would have been nice. That being said, Sex also has the potential to become something damn good. However, it’s up to you as to whether or not you want to take the plunge. I personally love taking a chance on new titles and I’ll be checking out at least another issue or two before I decide whether or not to go for another round of Sex.“-Steve
You can read the whole review here.
Shadowman #5-
Written by Justin Jordan & Patrick Zircher, Art by Patrick Zircher
“I feel this issue is trying to show us too much. Perhaps breaking that up between two issues would give us more to get solidly invested in these characters. I can’t say that this issue is a definite buy. It’s an in between issue that introduces some new players and serves to setup the next chapter of Shadowman. It has its moments, but it suffers a lot from pacing.”–Adam
You can read the whole review here.
Snapshot #2-
Written by Andy Diggle, Art by Jock
“You should be reading this! Buy Issue #1 as well so you can get the whole picture, not just a snapshot of the story (zing!). Diggle and Jock are hitting all the marks and firing on all cylinders. It’s only a four issue mini-series, but it’s going to be one hell of a fun ride!“-Adam
You can read the whole review here.
Well that does it for this week’s edition of the Review Round-Up. Also be sure to check out Steve Seigh’s Favorite Comic Book Covers of the Week, which showcase some of the week’s best covers. What were your favorite books of the week? Least favorite? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll see you next week!
